Day 97: The Laundrywoman's Wrists
At a barangay health center in Baras, Rizal, Dr. Maica (B), a young doctor on rural service, sees Amy (A), who washes clothes by hand for six households and whose hands keep going numb.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Tagalog. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day
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A
Dok, gabi-gabi po akong nagigising dahil namamanhid ang mga daliri ko.
Doc, I wake up every night because my fingers go numb.
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B
Carpal tunnel syndrome po iyan. Naiipit po ang ugat sa pulso ninyo dahil sa kapipiga.
That's carpal tunnel syndrome. A nerve in your wrist is being pinched from all the wringing.
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A
Anim na bahay po ang pinaglalabhan ko. Hindi po ako puwedeng tumigil.
I do the laundry for six households. I can't stop.
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B
Hindi ko po sinasabing tumigil kayo. Pero kailangan pong ipahinga ang mga kamay ninyo.
I'm not saying you should stop. But your hands do need rest.
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A
Isang kahig, isang tuka lang po kami, Dok. Kapag nagpahinga po ako, wala kaming kakainin.
We live hand to mouth, Doc. If I rest, we'll have nothing to eat.
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B
Totoo po, pero ang kalusugan ay kayamanan. Kapag lumala ito, baka operahan pa kayo.
True, but health is wealth. If this gets worse, you might even need surgery.
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A
Ay, huwag naman po. Paano po ako kikita nang hindi sumasakit ang kamay?
Oh, please, no. How can I earn a living without hurting my hands?
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B
May washing machine po ba ang mga amo ninyo? Doon na lang kayo maglaba, para makina na ang pipiga.
Do any of the families you work for have a washing machine? Do the wash there, so the machine does the wringing.
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A
Tatlo po ang mayroon. Sasabihin ko pong utos ng doktor, para wala silang reklamo.
Three of them do. I'll tell them it's doctor's orders, so they can't complain.
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